Rain, wind, snow: National Weather Service Cleveland meteorologist has seen it all

This is a headshot of Gary Garnet, 47, who is the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Cleveland. SUBMITTED PHOTOERIE TIMES-NEWS

Meet Gary Garnet, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Cleveland

Garnet, 47, has been with the National Weather Service for 25 years and has been a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Cleveland for 15 years. He is familiar with northwestern Pennsylvania and helps build weekly forecasts for many outer areas for the weather service in Cleveland.

Erie Times-News: We used to have a weather service based out of the Erie International Airport. Because the weather service is now in Cleveland, has it changed the accuracy of our forecasts here in Erie?

Garnet: It doesn't really change anything. In this day and age, we have much better technology and information-flow with the Internet. We're able to get so much weather data and information for locations in northwest Pennsylvania and really nationally, from anywhere. It's much easier to do forecasts remotely than it was several years ago. So I guess the answer is that we're still able to provide very accurate forecasts for Erie with the information we have in Cleveland.

Times-News: What's the most fun part of your job?

Garnet: Getting to observe a diverse range of weather in the location we're at. In northwest Pennsylvania, you really get it all. From winter weather storms to thunderstorms, windstorms, hail storms. It's enjoyable to be able to forecast and observe that.

Times-News: What's the worst part/most monotonous part of your job?

Garnet: The constant rotating shift work. Weather is 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It never stops. We work nights, overnight sometimes, holidays, weekends -- we're always here. At times that can be challenging, trying to work with that.

Times-News: What's predicted in the fall and winter (weather-wise) for Erie?

Garnet: At this point, we can't really determine what we're looking for at the winter. We'll have a better estimate of it as we get later in the fall. Severity of winters becomes a little more apparent later in the fall. We're just a little too far away to make any accurate predictions.

Times-News: Do you hear a lot of complaints when the forecasts are a little off?

Garnet: When don't we hear complaints? We do get a lot of calls. Somebody's always not happy. Some people want rain and some people don't want rain.

Times-News: How do you accumulate a weekly forecast?

Garnet: We're highly dependent on computer forecast models and these computer models simulate what's going to happen in the atmosphere over time. We have several that we look at and use daily, but where we really make our money here is our ability to interpret what they're telling us and then convert that into an accurate forecast that comes to you.

SARAH STEMEN can be reached at 870-1776 or by e-mail. Send her your ideas for future Q&A subjects and topics.